Coal pusher



Aug. 2, 1949. E. MARTIN 2,478,158

COAL PUSHER Filed May 22, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l [N V EN TOR. fZ/aE/vEMQQT/N E. MARTIN COAL PUSHER Aug. 2, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1945 Aug. 2, 1949. E. MARTIN COAL PUSHERFiled May 22, 1945 IIIIIIIIIIIVIIVIIIIVIIVIII 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.xii/GENE MEET/N Patented Aug. 2, 1949 COAL PUSHER Eugene Martin,Wesleyville, Pa., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated,a

corporation of Delaware Application May 22, 1945, Serial No. 595,129

2 Claims. 1

Th invention relates to power operated appliances, known as coalpushers, for pushing coal from the rear to the forward portion of thecoal bin of a locomotive tender to place it within convenient reach ofthe fireman, or to move the coal forward to the conveyor trough of astoker if the tender is so equipped.

In apparatus of this type it has been usual to provide transverselyextending longitudinally spaced pusher heads operatively linkedtogether, the rearmost pusher head being connected by means of a pistonrodwith the piston head of a steam cylinder of a reciprocating motor. Insuch constructions it has been customary to provide a stationary shieldor hood forward of the cylinder within which the piston rod may work, asa result of which, rearward movement of the -rearmost pusher head isrestricted to the forward end of the shield or hood, thereby limitingthe area of pushing efiectiveness of the coal pusher.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide improved meansfor advancing fuel in a tender fuel bin, and more particularly toprovide a coal pusher construction in which the pusher heads areeffective, for pushing coal, over a greater area per unit of spaceoccupied by the coal pusher than in previous constructions. Morespecifica'lly the invention contemplates a construction in which therearmost pusher head may move a greater distance rearward in the coalbin while maintaining the cylinder in substantially the same relativeposition in the coal bin as in previous constructions, therebyincreasing the eff-ective area of operation of the coal pusher.

It is also an obiect of the invention to provide a pusher constructionin which the rearmost pusher head in its retracted position can be movedreamardly to a position adjacent the cylinder, providing protection forthe piston rod against contact with the coal in the bin when the pusherhead is moved to its foremost position.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts, as will beunderstood from the preierred and practical embodiment of the inventionhereinafter described and illustrated the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure '1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a portion ora tender coal bin with the improved coal pusher applied thereto andshown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2.;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure3, parts being shown in elevation; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the irregular line 5-5 of Figure3.

The invention has been shown in the drawings and will be described asapplied to a locomotive tender bin, however, it is evident that theinvention may be used to advantage in other types of bins and formovement of materials other than coal.

In the drawings, the numeral Ill indicates a tender fuel bin includingthe sloping side walls H and [2, the rear slope sheet it provided with awear plate l4, and the rear wall 15.

The coal pushing device, generally indicated at A, is mounted on therear slope sheet l3 and includes a plurality of pusher heads, threebeing shown in the drawings indicated respectively by the numerals it, Hand I8. The pusher heads are in the form of transverse bars,substantially wedge-shaped in longitudinal vertical cross sectionproviding the upstanding pusher faces I9, 26 and 2-1. The bottom sidesof the pusher heads rest on the wear plate i l over which they areadapted to reciprocate.

In the drawings the pusher heads are shown in their retracted orrearmost position. When the pusher heads are advanced to their foremostposition, the pusher head it travels a short distance along thehorizontal floor portion 22 of the fuel bin In order to permit movementof the pusher head id in a horizontal plane while the pusher head it ismoving in a plane parallel with the slope sheet It, the pusher heads l6and iii are articulated together by means of connecting rods 2-3, therods 23 being flexibly connected at their ends with the pusher heads l5and iii. The intermediate pusher member H, which is rigidly secured tothe connecting rods 23, will raise slightly from the surface of theslope sheet [3 when the pusher member it! travels over the horizontalfloor portion 22, but since this is only a small distance, the extentthat the pusher head 51 raises,

is not objectionable.

If it is desirable to push coal farther forward across the floor of thetender, an additional pusher member can be linked flexibly to theforward end of the pusher head 58. In order to prevent lateral movementof the lower end of the pusher member, the bottom side of the pusherhead i is slotted to receive the guide rails 24.

The pusher head it is connected by means of the piston rod 25 with thepiston head 26 of a reciprocating motor, generally indicated as at 21.

The motor 21 comprises in addition to the piston head 26, a cylinder 28and removable rear and front cylinder heads 29 and 30, respectively. Thecylinder 28 is mounted on the upper and rear part of the slope sheet I 3and projects rearwardly through the rear wall 15 of the bin ill, theprojecting portion of the cylinder being mounted on the brackets 3|. Asbest shown in Figures 3 and 5, the cylinder 28 extends below the planeof the slope sheet it, the upper and rear part of the slope sheet i3 andwear plate I4 being recessed as at 8! to accommodate lower portion ofthe cylinder 28.

In order to mount the cylinder 28, it is provided on each lower sidewith a plurality of outwardly extending lugs or ears 32 overlying themarginal edges of the wear plate i4 and slope sheet [3 that define thesides of the recess 3!. Between the lugs 32 and the wear plate !4 arelongitudinally extending laterally projecting guide plates 33, for apurpose to be explained later, the guide plates 33 being spaced from thewear plate M by the filler plates 34. Bolts 35 passing through the lugs32, the guide plates 33, the filler plates 34, wear plate i4 and slopesheet i3, secure the cylinder and the named parts in rigid relas tion.In the same manner the portion of the cylinder projecting rearwardthrough the rear wall iii of the bin Ii] is secured to the brackets 3!.

A hood or shroud 36, arcuate in transverse cross section extendsrearwardl from the pusher head is and reciprocates therewith. In thedrawings the hood 36 is shown integrally formed with the pusher !6, butit is apparent that it may be made as a separable member, secured in anysuitable manner to the pusher head IS. The lower interior side walls orthe hood 36 are provided with a plurality of lugs forming a guideway 3'!receiving the guide plate 33.

On the forward stroke of the pusher heads, it will be seen that the hood36 forms a shield over the portion of the piston rod 25 projecting for-Wardly of the cylinder 28, protecting it from the coal in the bin Ill.On the rearward stroke of the pusher heads, the hood 36 slidesrearwardly over the cylinder 28, the rearward end of the hood projectingthrough the opening in the rear wall l5, previously referred to asaccommodating the cylinder '28.

In order to prevent fine particles of coal from entering between thecylinder 28 and the hood 35 during reciprocating movement of the coalpusher, an arcuate plate 38, attached to and extending forwardly fromthe rear wall i5, surrounds the hood 36. A removable cover 39 isprovided adjacent the forward end of the hood 35 over the connectionbetween'the piston rod 25 and the pusher head IS.

The motor 2'! is operated b a fluid, preferably steam, the passage ofwhich from the locomotive boiler or any other suitable source of supplyis controlled by a valve mechanism, not shown. From this control valvesteam passes to the motor 2? through the pipes 46 and 4! which servealternately as both intake and exhaust lines to their respective sidesof the motor piston 26.

The cylinder 28 is provided adjacent its rearward end with a tappedopening 42 to receive the pipe 49, the opening 42 communicating with acored passage 43, one end of which passage opens through an elongatedport i3 into the cylinder 28 a short distance from cylinder head 29, thedistance being not greater than the thickness of the piston 26, and theother end of which passage communicates with a cored passage 44,

4 45 in the cylinder head 29. The passage 44, 45 forms an initial steamintake passage for the cylinder 28, the spring seated valve 46 in thepassage shutting off the flow of exhaust steam from the cylinder.

At the forward end of cylinder 28, the cylinder head 30 has a tappedopening 41 to receive the pipe 4|, the opening 41 communicating with acored passage 48, 49. The branch 48 of passage 48, 49 communicates withthe cylinder passage 50, which opens through an elongated port 14 intothe cylinder 28 a distance rearward of the cylinder head 30 not greaterthan the thickness of the piston 26. The passage 48, 49 forms a steamintake passage for the cylinder 28, the Spring seated valve 5| in thepassage shutting oiT the flow of exhaust steam from the cylinder.

In the drawings, referring particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the coalpusher is in its retracted position, and if now it is desired to operatethe pusher to advance coal in the bin, an operating valve (not shown) ofany suitable design, as shown for example in United States LettersPatent No. 1,747,899, issued to Francis Hogg on date of February 18,1930, is operated to admit steam into the pipe 40. Steam from the supplypipe 40 enters the passage 43, passes into passage 44, raises the valve46 to pass into the passage 45 and thence into the cylinder 28, theexpansion of the steam moving the piston 25 to the opposite end of thecylinder. As the piston 25 moves by and opens the passage 43 to thecylinder, steam will enter the cylinder through the port 73 and sincethe cross sectional area of the port 13 is substantially equal to thecross sectional area of the supply pipe 40 and passages 43, 44 and 45,pressure on both sides of spring seated valve 45 will be equalizedcausing it to close.

While the piston 26 is making this movement, the steam in the cylinder28 ahead of the piston exhausts through port 74, passage 50 and pipe 41.As the piston 26 approaches its extreme forward position, it closes theport 14 trapping the exhaust steam in the remaining per- 45 tion of thecylinder from which it slowly escapes through the bleed port 52, thus,an effective cushion is provided for the piston 26 at the end of itsstroke.

By manipulating the previously referred to operating valve (not shown),the direction of the piston 26 is reversed by admitting steam into thecylinder through the pipe 4| and exhausting steam through pipe 40.Admission of steam to the front of the piston 26 is effected in the samemanner as described above in connection with admission of steam to therear of the piston 26 and exhausting of steam from the rear of thepiston 26 is effected in the same manner as described above inconnection with exhausting of steam from the forward end of the piston26. It will be apparent, therefore, that a cushion is also provided forthe piston on its rearward stroke when it closes the port I3, thetrapped steam escaping slowly through bleed port 53.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that I have provideda simple and efficient coal pusher in which the pusher heads are capableof operating over a greater area of the slope sheet than in previousconstructions without moving the motor a corresponding distance rearwardand upward. At the same time, the piston rod of the motor is protectedfrom contact with the coal in the bin on the forward stroke of thepusher member.

I claim:

1. In a bin having a material supporting surface, a pusher device havinga motor rigidly mounted on said surface and including a cylinderprovided with a reciprocating piston and piston rod, a pusher headoperatively connected with said piston rod for reciprocating movementover said surface, said pusher head being provided with an invertedU-shaped hood movable with said pusher head adapted to form with saidsupporting surface a shield for said piston rod when said piston ismoved toward the forward end of said cylinder and to fit closely aboutthe top and sides of said cylinder when said piston is moved toward therearward end of the cylinder, the sides of said hood extendingdownwardly to said supporting surface throughout the travel of saidhood, and cooperating means associated with said hood and supportingsurface closely adjacent the sides of said cylinder forming a guidedefining the path of movement of said hood.

2. A pushing device having a rigidly mounted motor including a cylinderprovided with a reciprocating piston and piston rod, and a pusher headoperatively connected with said piston rod,

a hood movable in concert with said pusher head adapted to form a shieldfor said piston rod when said piston is moved toward the forward end ofsaid cylinder and to fit closely about the top and sides of saidcylinder when said piston is moved toward the rearward end of thecylinder, the portion of said hood projecting forward of the cylinder tosaid pusher head when said piston is in its rearmost position beingtapered, and a removable cover in the top of said tapered portion of thehood providing access to the connection between said pusher head andpiston rod.

EUGENE MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,138,501 Nelson May 4, 19151,186,776 Heisler June 13, 1916 1,411,105 Johnson Mar. 28, 19221,436,568 Bickle Nov. 21, 1922 1,747,899 Hogg Feb. 18, 1930

